stevetown
Steve's Place
I do coding sometimes and also sometimes blog at gamequest.info
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I logged my 200th bird species for Wisconsin! I got a great tip from a close friend, who knows about these things, that a Hooded Warbler had appeared in a park near my house.
[ID: A male Hooded Warbler perches on a mossy branch in the forest. His body is just a couple inches long, with green feathers on back, wings, and tail, and dull yellow for the underparts. His "hood" is a black cowl that covers almost his entire head save for a bright yellow mask that extends in an oval from the middle of his face to surround the eye and ear on each side. He has a pointy dark gray bill shaped for picking insects off of trees, and his eye is a reflective jet black that stands out against the yellow mask. End ID]
The next morning, I packed up my camera along with my work bag and took a break from my commute to check out the park. I arrived to find several people wandering the trails, here to do the exact same thing as me. None of them had seen the Hoodie yet, but they had a wealth of information from other birders on the movements and general behavior of the bird from the past couple days. I spent at least 45 minutes wandering the trails, squishing through the damp and the mud in my work slacks and sneakers. I logged five firsts for 2024, but no sign of the elusive Hooded Warbler.
[ID: The Hooded Warbler perches on the same mossy branch, this time facing away from the camera and looking up into the treetops. His wings are neatly folded behind his back, making a pleasing pattern with the tips of the primary flight feathers. End ID]
So I left the park for work, but decided I should come back in the evening. I knew from the sighting reports in eBird that this guy is active all day. When I got back to the park, it was cloudy and drizzling. I met a pair of nice young women with binoculars and a camera lens as long as mine. I asked, "Are you here looking for the Hooded Warbler too?"
One of them said very casually, "Oh yeah, it's right over there across the creek. Just flittering around." So of course I had to get eyes on him and try to get a photo. It was only a couple minutes before he came out again and started working the far bank of the creek.
[ID: The same Hooded Warbler, this time perched deeper in the brush and looking toward the camera. This angle provides a better view of the black hood and bright yellow mask, looking delicately fringed around the edges. End ID]
I probably followed the Hoodie down the creek for like 10 minutes before he decided to cross over to our side to do some more foraging. I froze. He was almost completely hidden in the brush, but I could see bits of movement and kept him in the frame the whole time. I knew I couldn't make any sudden moves without scaring him away. For a brief moment, he came out to take a closer look at me, which is where all the photos in this post came from. I only managed to shoot three bursts while he was completely out in the open before he took off for the far side of the creek again.
[ID: The Hooded Warbler looks directly at the camera, only partially obscured by a twig. His posture suggests being ready to leap forward and continue the hunt for insects. End ID]
I was left feeling incredibly amped. The other photographer and I had to share back-of-the-camera shots and gush over how cute he was and how close he came to us. It seems it's always a special event when a rare or unusual species shows up in town. I love these brief moments of connection with birds and the people that care about them.
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sleeping positions that fuck up your spine feel so good for no reason it’s literally the devil’s deepest temptation
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one time during the height of homestuck's popularity I told a friend I was finally gonna start it and they were the most serious they'd ever been with me when they told me I definitely should not, and it scared me away forever. Every year that passes I feel it was the correct call and I am thankful to have such a friend.
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It's in your face but you can't grab it
You can see it, but you can’t take it…
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No idea who thought the button overlay UI was a good idea, but I've always wondered.
PlayStation 1 (1994/1995) - Memory Card
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Staircase at Super Potato Video Game Store In Akihibara Japan
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Hmm, the queer repression due to religious upbringing is bad... but the queer readings on all media that you process decades later... is very good...
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"note the near unrecognizable state of the penguin"
Top: many models found in development files for Super Mario 64 that surfaced in 2020 are present in an extremely fragmented state in their source files, requiring manual assembly and the addition of assets from other places in the code to regain their intended appearance. This is how the early model for the penguins, named "Ping" internally, appeared in the files originally. Note the near unrecognizable state of the penguin.
Bottom: the model after being properly assembled, assigned the correct textures, and placed in a level in-game.
Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source
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This is a demon wall appreciation post.
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I was informed I forgot about FFXIV so I am correcting this error.
This is a demon wall appreciation post.
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Strategy Game Insurance, where you can actually undo nonsense RNG or mistakes or design by filing a claim but you're at the mercy of the company.
We have received your claim of "misclick" and your claim has been accepted. You are permitted to take the unit's action back by one space or one menu selection. Your rates may also be adjusted. Look for a statement in the mail.
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Photo
Daily Mirror, England, January 23, 1923
Image © The British Library Board. All Rights Reserved.
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This is a demon wall appreciation post.
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